Connector in a plasma arc torch system

Abstract

A lead connector is provided for connecting a plasma torch lead of a plasma arc torch to a power supply of a plasma cutting system. The lead connector includes a base portion, a central conduit disposed in the base portion, where the central conduit is configured to carry a gas and a torch current to the plasma arc torch, and multiple pins disposed radially about a center of the central conduit. The pins are located at a radius of between about 0.4 inches and about 0.65 inches from the center of the central conduit on a radial plane of the base portion. The pins include one or more pilot carrying pins and one or more control signal pins located from about 27 degrees to about 64 degrees and from about 120 degrees to about 170 degrees, respectively, about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A lead connector for connecting a plasma torch lead of a plasma arc torch to a power supply of a plasma cutting system, the lead connector comprising:
 a base portion; 
 a central conduit disposed in the base portion, the central conduit configured to carry a gas and a torch current to the plasma arc torch; and 
 a plurality of pins disposed radially about a center of the central conduit, the plurality of pins located at a radius of between about 0.4 inches and about 0.65 inches from the center of the central conduit on a radial plane of the base portion, the plurality of pins including:
 one or more pilot carrying pins configured to carry a pilot current to the plasma arc torch, the one or more pilot carrying pins located from about 27 degrees to about 64 degrees about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane; and 
 a plurality of control signal pins radially disposed from about 120 degrees to about 170 degrees about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane, the plurality of control signal pins including (i) a power pin configured to provide power to a control board of the plasma arc torch and (ii) at least one of a start pin configured to generate a start signal for operating the torch or a consumable sensing pin configured to generate a detection signal for sensing installation of a consumable in the torch; 
 wherein an angular spacing between each of the pilot carrying pins and a closest of the control signal pins is about 66 degrees or greater such that a current creepage is reduced between the pilot carrying pins and the closest of the control signal pins. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein a line of sight spacing between a pilot-carry pin and the closest of the control signal pins is about 0.6 inches. 
     
     
       3. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein the reduced current creepage is further achieved using at least one of a first insulative blade disposed at about 80 degrees or a second insulative blade disposed at about 95 degrees about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane. 
     
     
       4. The lead connector of  claim 3 , wherein the first or second insulative blade is located radially between a pilot carrying pin and a control signal pin. 
     
     
       5. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein the closest control signal pin comprises the consumable sensing pin. 
     
     
       6. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pilot carrying pins maintains an arc length distance of about 0.05 inches from an adjacent pilot carrying pin. 
     
     
       7. The lead connector of  claim 6 , wherein each of the control signal pins maintains an arc length distance of about 0.03 inches from an adjacent control signal pin. 
     
     
       8. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein an arc length between a pair of the pilot carrying pins is greater than an arc length between a pair of the control signal pins. 
     
     
       9. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein the plasma cutting system comprises an air cooled plasma cutting system. 
     
     
       10. The lead connector of  claim 1 , further comprising a key feature disposed at about 0 degrees about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane, the key feature configured to matingly engage a key feature of a corresponding connector of a plasma power supply. 
     
     
       11. The lead connector of  claim 10 , wherein the key feature comprises at least two axial steps of the base portion shaped to identify the corresponding connector of the power supply. 
     
     
       12. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pins further includes a plurality of data communication pins disposed radially from about 180 degrees to about 214 degrees about the opening of the central conduit on the radial plane, the plurality of data communication pins configured to communicate data between the plasma arc torch and the power supply. 
     
     
       13. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pins further includes an identification pin disposed radially at about 230 degrees about the opening of the central conduit on the radial plane, the identification pin configured to signal whether the torch is a mechanized torch or a handheld torch. 
     
     
       14. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pins further includes a plurality of length identification pins disposed radially from about 240 to about 300 degrees about the opening of the central conduit on the radial plane, the plurality of length identification pins configured to signal to the power supply a length of the plasma torch lead. 
     
     
       15. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pins are located at a radius of about 0.55 inches from the center of the central conduit on the radial plane. 
     
     
       16. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein the start pin is located about 147 degrees about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane. 
     
     
       17. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein the start pin is located between about 80 degrees and about 120 degrees from a closest of the pilot carrying pins. 
     
     
       18. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein the consumable sensing pin is located about 130 degrees about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane. 
     
     
       19. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more pilot carrying pins is located about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane. 
     
     
       20. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein a smallest angular spacing between the one or more pilot carrying pins and the control signal pins is about 60 degrees. 
     
     
       21. The lead connector of  claim 1 , wherein a largest angular spacing between the one or more pilot carrying pins and the control signal pins is about 140 degrees. 
     
     
       22. A lead connector for connecting a plasma torch lead of a plasma arc torch to a power supply of a plasma cutting system, the lead connector comprising:
 a base portion; 
 a central conduit disposed in the base portion, the central conduit configured to carry a gas and a torch current to the plasma arc torch; and 
 a plurality of pins disposed radially about a center of the central conduit, the plurality of pins located at a radius of between about 0.4 inches and about 0.65 inches from the center of the central conduit on a radial plane of the base portion, the plurality of pins including:
 one or more pilot carrying pins radially disposed at the radius about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane, the one or more pilot carrying pins configured to carry a pilot current to the plasma arc torch; and 
 a plurality of control signal pins radially disposed at the radius about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane, the plurality of control signal pins including a power pin configured to provide power to a control board of the plasma arc torch and a start pin for generating a start signal to operate the torch, 
 wherein an angular spacing between a pilot carrying pin and a closest of the control signal pins is not more than about 103 degrees when measured with respect to the central conduit, while a creepage distance between the pilot carrying pin and the closest control signal pin is greater than or equal to about 12.6 mm. 
 
 
     
     
       23. The lead connector of  claim 22 , further comprising one or more insulative blades radially disposed between the one or more pilot carrying pins and the control signal pins about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane. 
     
     
       24. The lead connector of  claim 22 , wherein each of the one or more pilot carrying pins maintains an arc length distance of about 0.046 inches from an adjacent pilot carrying pin. 
     
     
       25. The lead connector of  claim 22 , wherein each of the control signal pins maintains an arc length distance of about 0.03 inches from an adjacent control signal pin. 
     
     
       26. The lead connector of  claim 22 , wherein the one or more pilot carrying pins are located from about 20 degrees to about 70 degrees about the center of the conduit on the radial plane and the control signal pins are located from about 120 degrees to about 170 degrees about the center of the conduit on the radial plane. 
     
     
       27. The lead connector of  claim 26 , further comprising a key feature disposed at about 0 degrees about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane, the key feature configured to matingly engage a key feature of a corresponding connector of a plasma power supply. 
     
     
       28. A connector for a plasma cutting system including a plasma power supply and a plasma arc torch, the connector comprising:
 a base portion; 
 a central conduit disposed in the base portion, the central conduit configured to carry a gas and a torch current to the plasma arc torch of the plasma cutting system; 
 a plurality of pins disposed radially about the central conduit on a radial plane of the base portion, the plurality of pins divided into a set of distinct circumferential zones about the central conduit, the set of distinct circumferential zones including:
 a first zone located in a first quadrant on the radial plane of the base portion, the first zone including a plurality of pins comprising one or more pilot carrying pins configured to conduct a pilot current to the plasma arc torch; and 
 a second zone located in a second through a fourth quadrant on the radial plane of the base portion, the second zone including a plurality of pins comprising a start pin configured to generate a start signal for operating the torch, 
 wherein a distance between a pair of the pins in the first zone is greater than a distance between a pair of the pins in the second zone. 
 
 
     
     
       29. The connector of  claim 28 , wherein each of a first pin and a last pin of the second zone is spaced radially at least 0.3 inches in arc length from respective adjacent pins of the first zone. 
     
     
       30. The connector of  claim 28 , further includes a means for insulating the pins in the second zone from the one or more pilot carrying pins in the first zone to decrease a current creepage from the pilot carrying pins to the pins in the second zone. 
     
     
       31. A method of manufacturing a connector for a plasma cutting system, the connector comprising a base portion and a central conduit disposed in the base portion for carrying a gas and a torch current to a plasma arc torch of the plasma cutting system, the method comprising:
 disposing a plurality of pilot carrying pins radially at about 0 degrees to about 90 degrees about a center of the central conduit on a radial plane of the base portion, the pilot carrying pins configured to carry a pilot current to the plasma arc torch; 
 disposing a plurality of remaining pins radially at about 90 degrees to about 360 degrees about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane of the base portion, the remaining pins including a start pin configured to generate a start signal for operating the torch; and 
 radially spacing the pilot carrying pins and the remaining pins such that a distance between a pair of the pilot carrying pins is greater than a distance between a pair of the remaining pins. 
 
     
     
       32. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising inserting one or more insulative blades between the pilot carrying pins and the remaining pins to reduce creepage of the pilot current from the pilot carrying pins to the remaining pins. 
     
     
       33. The method of  claim 31 , further comprising disposing each of the pilot carrying pins and the remaining pins at a radius of between about 0.4 inches and about 0.65 inches from the center of the central conduit on the radial plane of the base portion. 
     
     
       34. A lead connector for connecting a plasma torch lead of a plasma arc torch to a power supply of a plasma cutting system, the lead connector comprising:
 a base portion; 
 a central conduit disposed in the base portion, the central conduit configured to carry a gas and a torch current to the plasma arc torch; 
 a plurality of pins disposed radially about a center of the central conduit, the plurality of pins located at a radius of between about 0.4 inches and about 0.65 inches from the center of the central conduit on a radial plane of the base portion, the plurality of pins including:
 one or more pilot carrying pins configured to carry a pilot current to the plasma arc torch, the one or more pilot carrying pins located from about 27 degrees to about 64 degrees about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane; and 
 one or more control signal pins radially disposed form about 120 degrees to about 170 degrees about the center of the central conduiit on the radial plane, the one or more of control signal pins including at least one of a start pin configured to generate a start signal for operating the torch or a consumable sensing pin configured to generate a detection signal for sensing installation of a consumable in the torch; 
 wherein an angular spacing between each of the pilot carrying pins and a closest of the control signal pins is about 66 degrees or greater such that a current creepage is reduced between the pilot carrying pins and the closest of the control signal pins, and 
 
 at least one of a first insulative blade disposed at about 80 degrees or a second insulative blade disposed at about 95 degrees about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane to further reduce the current creepage. 
 
     
     
       35. The lead connector of  claim 34 , wherein the first or second insulative blade is located radially between a pilot carrying pin and a control signal pin. 
     
     
       36. A lead connector for connecting a plasma torch lead of a plasma arc torch to a power supply of a plasma cutting system, the lead connector comprising:
 a base portion; 
 a central conduit disposed in the base portion, the central conduit configured to carry a gas and a torch current to the plasma arc torch; 
 a plurality of pins disposed radially about a center of the central conduit, the plurality of pins located at a radius of between about 0.4 inches and about 0.65 inches from the center of the central conduit on a radial plane of the base portion, the plurality of pins including:
 one or more pilot carrying pins radially disposed at the radius about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane, the one or more pilot carrying pins configured to carry a pilot current to the plasma arc torch; and 
 one or more control signal pins radially disposed at the radius about the center of the central conduit on the radial plane, the one or more control signal pins including a start pin for generating a start signal to operate the torch, 
 wherein an angular spacing between a pilot carrying pin and a closest of the control signal pins is not more than about 103 degrees when measured with respect to the central conduit, while a creepage distance between the pilot carrying pin and the closest control signal pin is greater than or equal to about 12.6 mm; and 
 
 one or more insulative blades radially disposed between the one or more pilot carrying pins and the one or more control signal pins about the center of the central condujit on the radial plane.